AN APPRAISAL OF UNGOVERNED SPACE, ARMED BANDITRY AND HUMAN SECURITY IN SOUTH-WEST, NIGERIA

Abstract

Nigeria is currently ravaged by manifold of security challenges and prominent among them is armed banditry, which is speedily spreading threatening the security of lives and property in the country. This paper examined the nexus between ungoverned space, armed banditry and human security in South-west Nigeria. It adopted descriptive research method and made use of secondary source of data while the predatory theory of government was used as its theoretical premise. It argued that armed banditry is driven by the inability or failure of the state to assume territorial control within its jurisdiction. It argued further that the ungoverned space, which accentuates armed banditry, has been upsetting the security of lives and property of people as many now live in tension and uncertainty. The paper concludes that armed bandits took advantage of the availability of ungoverned space to unleash terror and endanger human security in the country. To salvage the situation, it is recommended that government should ensure adequate training and retraining of its security personnel while sophisticated weapons and logistics are made adequately available for the police, the military, and other local/indigenous security outfits such as the Amotekun, vigilante and local hunters involved in combating banditry in order to enhance their performance. It recommends further that government should utilise modern technological security gadgets like CCTV cameras, drones and satellites, among others, to monitor the ungoverned spaces.